Touched by an Angel
by The Mighty Gyarapie
Summary: Serra, the little girl who wore the Ring of Chaos, was not left unaffected by hosting an angel's soul. Before and after her divine visit, she had her own journey and her own story to tell about the Underworld Invasion. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Standard Boilerplate Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, scenario, ideas, or anything else related to Kid Icarus. I claim no credit for anything found herein except the plot, which is mine, so don't steal it. Consider this story disclaimed henceforth, until darkness consumes the sun.

(Authors note: This is my first "story" fic in quite some time, ever since I dropped my old pokemon fic, "Ancient Ways". But the idea for this keeps coming back and bugging me so here it is, my first story in a while and my first ever submission for Kid Icarus: Uprising. Please leave a review if you want to say something, more reviews will encourage me to write more, and hopefully I'll finish this one.)

Touched by an Angel: Chapter 1

Serra lived an uneventful life up until she was 6. She did ordinary things that any peasant does when the world is at peace, there was never any excitement or danger, and her upbringing did nothing to convince her that life could be a dark, messy, and dangerous thing. That was the way up until her 6th harvest, when the Underworld Army invaded the land of Mortals.

Those were dark times, for two months the skies were sporadically darkened as entire armies of Specknoses, Miks, and Boogities went on rampages throughout entire kingdoms. Not that Serra knew or cared what the monsters were individually called, to most people they were all the same, demons. Left with no way to fight such inhuman threats, peasants lived in constant fear and only the brave or desperate left their homes for any reason. As if the feeble cottages and huts would offer any opposition against the "demons" or the Reapettes that followed them, harvesting souls. In Serra's eyes the real scare was in the aftermath, when it became clear that the souls of the dead were being harvested, that someone was slaying humans for some kind of profit. The more religiously fervent villagers claimed that the monsters were the result of the gods abandoning them, while other more practical sorts realized that the attacks were a result of at least one god paying too much attention, or another not paying enough.

This second mind set never sat well with Serra, who was at the core an active and self-reliant young girl. "Why should we expect the Gods to defend us?" She wondered, "Especially if the monsters are being sent by them?" She was more keen on protecting herself, although she was too young, too weak, and too naïve to really do much of anything. Her belligerence did not endear her to the other peasants and her family tried to keep her inside and out of sight. She rarely left home, but on at least one occasion she got outside and roamed around. However, the first time she did she very nearly met disaster.

Had she been older she would have realized that the fact that her parents were calling for her to come to the cellar meant there was a problem outside, she may have questioned the rumbling and the noise, but her young mind was only made more curious, and she ignored her parents to go see what the fuss was. Her eyes widened upon stepping outside, as she was staring down their little street at the back of what look like large metal plate with funny lines, the armored shell of a Boogity. Not realizing its hostile nature, she wandered over to examine it, when suddenly it whipped around! Upon seeing its grotesque arms and sneering face she did what any one would do, screamed as loud as possible. Perhaps not the smartest thing ever, as it immediately alerted every monster in town that one of the tasty humans was outside their stone and wood shelters. The Boogity flinched a little at the noise before winding up to throw a purple projectile to silence the little annoyance it had found. Serra reacted with remarkable swiftness and dove aside to avoid the attack. She immediately realized she should have probably gone back inside, when she was swiftly proven wrong. The projectile hit her home and exploded.

Suddenly everything was heat and noise, and Serra felt weightless as she was thrown clear by the force of the blast, a fact that saved her life. She crashed down in a small alleyway nearby and was momentarily stunned. Upon recovering her senses, the little girl lay prone on the ground in terror waiting for that terrible face to come and kill her, but she realized after a while that if she was going to be killed she would be dead already. Slowly, Serra dared to peer up from the ground and she saw two things, one terrifying and one horrifying. The Boogity still floated where it had been, but it seemed not to notice her, (perhaps it thought she was dead?), additionally several other monsters with skulls for heads were leaving the scene, apparently disappointed that their target had been killed in a blast. She would have felt relieved slightly if not for the second thing she saw which almost made her cry out, her home was not where it should be, a pile of rubble had replaced it. She almost did scream as she thought of her parents, but realized in a flash of what could only be called inspiration that the monsters would respond to the noise. Serra vowed silently that until the monsters were all gone she would not say a word, no matter what happened. She did not realize that she would be keeping that vow for a very long time. As it was she was left, alone and shell shocked, in a dark, cramped alley meters away from the bashed up, utterly ruined wreckage of her home, family, and comfortable life.

First, she was numbed by shock and despair, and then she was wracked by a huge question: Whatever was she going to do now?


	2. Chapter 2

Boiler plate disclaimer: If you really care that much (which I know lawyers don't) then check Chapter 1, this is really just a continuation of that, and all the same things apply.

 _Authors Note: I'm still alive! And a big thank you to everyone who left encouraging words and chose to follow my little one chapter preview. It may please you to know that I still fully intend to write, and yes, FINISH this fic. I just put off starting more chapters until the ideas were more firmly in place for the plot. And then I procrastinated, and then I got distracted, and then I got hired at a job, and then I got a week off so I procrastinated and then... Long story short, this is the very bottom of my priority list, but it is still on said list! So without further ado, back to Serra, who is, for want of a better word, having a BAD day. This chapter will be split into two parts, with two different styles. One for each character I want to focus on for this fic. I probably won't do that every chapter. We'll see._

 **Touched by an Angel: Chapter 2 Part 1**

Smoke and fire, darkness and pain, terror and silence, through all these things Serra blindly ran down the dark back alleys of the town she lived in, the town that was being mercilessly destroyed. She couldn't stop, knowing instinctively that to stop would be to die. She didn't call out for help, realizing now that help is not what would respond. She had no plan, but subconsciously, she made for the city gates. If the monsters were after human life, she would be safer where there were less people.

Serra did not realize it until later, but she was not simply making a blind dash through the streets of her devastated hometown. She would look down alleys before entering, climb onto rooftops to avoid detection on the ground, hide in alcoves until enemies passed. Without thinking clearly, she managed to get all the way to the town gate without a single encounter. She wasn't aware of it, but Serra was a natural at using her environment for best effect. There was just one problem with her "get out of town" strategy, the area around the gate was an open plaza, it was impossible to get out without crossing completely open, empty ground. And the troubles didn't stop there.

Sitting in the middle of the clearing before the gate was what was easily the biggest, meanest demon she had ever seen. It looked like a vehicle of some kind, a triangular base with large chains running circuits along it's sides, driving it forward like a treadmill. Atop this construction was a bulbous circular top that must have been the creatures head. Everything about it radiated danger and there was no way out of town but past it. Serra was forced to stop, and in doing so her emotions caught up with her. The young girl was bombarded by the trauma of losing her home, her family, her life, everything. All of it decimated in an instant on the whim of some faceless, demon-spawning deity. The implacable cruelty of life hit the already tired girl with all the savagery of a battering ram. She silently fell to her knees in despair. Was this it? Was it all over?

Then something penetrated the haze of despair and terror that blanketed Serra's mind, a foreign noise that seemed out of place after running through town with the monsters having the run of the place. It was the sound of metal clashing against flesh, someone was fighting the monsters on the main street! Serra looked up the street from the shadows of her hiding place, feeling a faint glimmer of hope, someone was fighting back. Her hope flared brighter as a monster with a skull-like head flew bodily through the air to crash into the behemoth blocking the gate. The vehicular monster didn't flinch, but the skull creature exploded into purple and orange ribbons that drifted away on the air. Another thwacking sound of steel being swung and two more skulls followed suit. Taking their place in the entrance to the plaza was what looked to Serra like a real hero.

This man was all muscle, and then his muscles had muscles. His messy dark hair gave his battle-scarred face an even more rugged determined look. His eyes burned with a determination to eradicate the monsters that were standing in his way, and, looking to back up his ideas with action, his arms carried a weapon far too mighty to be called simply a sword. This was a brutal two-handed piece of destruction, and lethal edge for gashing and a bulky blade for smashing. It was part club and part blade, but one hundred percent power. He wielded it with strength and confidence, and it filled Serra with a feeling that she was right all along, that people could fight back. This man was proof that humans shouldn't wait for gods to save them, he could save himself!

He stepped into the plaza and stared down the monstrosity barring the gate. Serra watched on with awestruck hopeful eyes. He was going to do it! He would clear the way and save her from dying along with her town! Little did she know, she would be helping him in the coming fight, almost as much as he would help her.

 **Part 2:**

 _A/N: Magnus is the subject of this part, and unlike Serra, who has taken a vow of silence, Magnus sometimes has things to add to the narration. Sentences in Parenthesis_ ( _like this_ ) _usually indicate Magnus' personal thoughts on a subject, often as a side note to the sentence or paragraph they appear in._

Magnus was many things, for many reasons: a mercenary, a war veteran, a loner, and grumpy. He was a mercenary because it paid the bills. He was a veteran because he was strong and smart. He was a loner because no one else seemed to be a veteran (Well, there was that one, but that's a different story). And he was grumpy because every time he tried to head into a town to buy food or a good ale some random monster horde annihilated it. On the night after the first town got destroyed he blamed a god (I never pick one, they all suck). On the second night he blamed bad luck. On the third time, he suspected curses, but now he was tempted to see if maybe it was his cologne that brought the stupid things. (No, wait, that idea is dumb. Seriously, a cologne that attracts monster?)

Not that he was worried about killing the beasties, he was actually more than happy to rend a few more Monoeyes, or slap a Specknose down the street. It would just be nice to have a break every once in while for a change of pace. (Was that too much to ask? Probably, life sucks, after all.) He tried not to think about the phenomenal waste of life that was going on around him as he cleaned up main street. In his efforts to find something else to think about, (because frankly I didn't even have to think about the monsters I was butchering, too easy.), he noticed that every time he crossed a side alley with no monsters in it a flicker of movement zipped passed his peripheral vision, someone (or more likely something) was following him on a parallel path toward the town's entry plaza. He shrugged philosophically while rearranging the face of a Ganewmede, (stupid things only sit there as I slap them apart), he figured he'd destroy whatever was tailing him when he got to the gate, easy enough.

When he actually reached the gate, he realized that he may have been a bit overconfident (You would be too, considering.) After splattering a few Skuttlers, he saw that fate wasn't just going to let him walk out. The Crawler tank blocking the gate may have been placed intentionally, to prevent humans from escaping or maybe it was just Magnus' bad luck holding. Either way, he couldn't just run in against an opponent like that semi-mechanical monstrosity. For a start, the whole thing was invulnerable from the front end, add to that it's high-firepower artillery and bulky, human-crushing treads and you have a complete recipe for a bad time. He'd have to either wait for it to turn around before engaging, or alternatively try to out run it's turning speed. Never one to choose patience over power, Magnus' ran straight into the fray.

The Crawler turned on him immediately upon him entering the plaza, (maybe it had a proximity sensor, it hadn't seemed to care when it's buddies flew in here), facing it's entire armored front up main street while charging it's large cannon. The weapon discharged into the air, but Magnus wasn't stupid enough to think the tank had bad aim. That shot was coming back and he had to be gone before it hit. He tried his original plan of running around it, and it seemed to work, the thing turned so slowly that he easily reached its' vulnerable rear bulge (Trying real hard not to think about vulnerable rear bulges now. Thanks.) The problem hit (literally) when he reared back to decimate the sucker and it started vibrating. (Just a little advice: if the monster vibrates, MOVE AWAY!) The Crawler rapidly spun 1620 degrees, completing four full turns and then reorienting to face right at Magnus' current position. Unfortunately for Magnus, that many spins set up a small shock wave around the beast (Small compared to a Crawler, maybe, but the blast was a big as me!) which knocked Magnus clean off his feet and onto the ground. It only got worse from there. (Never hit the ground in a fight, the ground is where people go to die.) The next part of the problem was so close to being a combo that Magnus would've been impressed had he not known the tank couldn't plan that far ahead. The shot the tank sent in the air earlier landed right on top of the prone swordsman, detonating a small crate in the plaza. He lay in the bottom: dazed, burned, and bummed out. Absently, he figured everyone had to bite it sometime and waited for the Crawler to turn him into a Magnus pancake. There was no way out of this except for a miracle.

 _A/N: Next chapter: Coming Soonish(?) I really don't like setting deadlines for hobbies like this, but I will promise that this fic is not dead, only sleeping until all the planets align and the three symbols of power are gathered on the holy site of the Demon's Resurrection. I won't apologize for lateness, but I do want to_ _thank every single person who read this little project of mine and especially you folks (all three of ya) that dropped reviews on such a short intro chapter. I really don't write a long works, so expect all the chapter to be about this length. Or maybe a bit shorter or longer. Who knows? Please leave a review if you read this, it reminds me that I'm not the only one reading this stuff!_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _A/N: Surprise! Bet you didn't plan on seeing me again! FierceDeityMask is back under new management as TheMightyGyarapie, But no really, this fic is never dead, I just don't believe in schedules, take that as you will, but I'm still here, still kicking. Let's see how Magnus avoids becoming a heroic flapjack, hmmm?_

 **Touched by an Angel: Chapter 3 Part 1**

With a terror that shook her young frame, Serra watched as her hero was flung away from the monster, and then cringed as a detonation erupted around the prone figure. She prayed internally that the man would rise from the ashes, phoenix-like, unscathed and ready to finish the behemoth that was blocking her bid for freedom. Alas, he did not move, beyond a few pained twitches and wheezing.

The Armored Demon lazily rolled forwards on its treads, clearly intending to splatter the downed swordsman. It's slow pace belied the agility it had shown in turning around so quickly. Suddenly, at that thought, Serra was seized by a foolish idea. "Turned around?" Thinking back a few moments she recalled that the beast responded so violently because the swordsman had run around to its backside, which she could now see had a large reddish bump instead of the armored carapace of the rest of the beast. If it spun like that to defend its rear, maybe she could distract it from crushing the man who was willing to fight monsters. If she had been thinking rationally, Serra might have realized that only buying time wouldn't save the swordsman, not to mention that the young girl was still unarmed, so she couldn't hope to actually damage the beast. But Serra had passed the stage of rational thought when her house had been leveled and her family vaporized, so almost before she finished her mad thoughts she was breaking from the cover of the alley. She ran silently at the back of the beast, preparing for what would certainly be one of the least threatening offensives in Human history.

Whatever proximity alarm had caused the beast to face the swordsman on his initial charge clearly did not register Serra as a threat, as she managed to get right up behind the demon and, with a level of valor worthy of song, slammed her two little child fists of fury into the surprisingly squishy weakness on the beasts rear. The effect was instantaneous, for although the beast was of a class all its own, the price of having only one weak point was high indeed. The impact was so negligible that any other demon wouldn't even notice, but to the monstrosity it was an agony unrivaled. At this point, the felled swordsman was instantly forgotten, and Serra had the villains full attention. Vibrating violently, the awful beast prepared to bring its violence to bear on whatever threat had just appeared at its vulnerable back.

Serra was surprised to feel a violent shudder ripple through the demons back at the point she struck, as she had half thought the beast wouldn't even notice her. Then her hyper alert survival instincts reminded her of what happened the last time that this adversary had started shaking like this. Realizing that she had mere moments before the beast spun up another shockwave, Serra bolted back towards the alleyway from which she had emerged. Dimly, she realized that the monster could turn much faster than she could run, and that she would never escape if it started to pursue her. Luckily for Serra, and though she couldn't know it at the time, the Crawler Tank was even more mechanical its assault than the more brainless Demons, and it performed the same full quadruple spin it used on the swordsman before stopping to face the new threat, only to realize that the "new threat" was already ducking into shelter, in a very non-threatening way. Having temporarily lost its swiftly fleeing target, the Crawler Tank re-detected the credible threat that it had failed to finish off before. Unfortunately for the Crawler, Magnus may have been down, but he was certainly not out and although Serra's little foray into unarmed combat may not have seriously damaged the beast, it had bought a far more lethal adversary time for a much needed second wind.

 **Part 2:**

The day was shaping up to be a pretty bad day for Magnus. (Understatement of the year, even the Alien Apocalypse managed to suck less.) Sure, it wasn't the first time one of the Underworld's goons had gotten in a lucky shot, but getting slapped by a tank and then blasted isn't something anyone can just shrug off. For a moment, Magnus was tempted to have his life flash before his eyes and brace himself for death. (Yeah, fine, maybe for a second there, but then I realized that my life was for the most part even more grim than this, so I gave it a pass.) This was the first time in a long while that Magnus had hoped for divine intervention, especially since Palutena had apparently decided that Humans weren't worth defending anymore, and Angel Face had gone right along. But there, facedown, in a pit, preparing to be crushed by a giant, stupid hunk of metal, Magnus said those stupidly hopeful words: "I could really use a miracle." (What? Might as well have, what did I have to lose?)

So of course his tattoos nearly came off (Funny, but not true) when that little streak of movement which had been following him all the way through town came zipping across the plaza and suddenly what appeared to be a child was double-fist punching the Crawler Tank in its obviously vulnerable hiney. (Credit where it's due, the kid had a mean down-swing, and trust me, I'd know.) True to form, the Crawler responded by spinning to face the hit, but the kid was really fast on her feet, she was already booking it halfway across the plaza again. (The little squirt could really hustle!) Absently, Magnus wondered why the tank wasn't firing its machine guns at the retreating girl, but little did he know, those had been damaged beyond use by the collisions of the Skuttler corpses from when he knocked them at it. (Really, dang, lucky shot! Gotta remember that one.)

Magnus took the opportunity provided by the distraction to stagger to his feet, with his hands gripping his sword for support. Good news, he was back on his feet, bad news, still no way was he outmaneuvering the Crawler Tank in his condition. Additionally, he really wanted to clear out of town before the inevitable second wave hit and Palutena's Centurions started slaughtering Monsters and Humans both, if that happened he would be required by what was left of his conscience to stay and fight since he owed it to the Angel to carry on his work, even if that same Angel was opposing him. (Something still seems off about that, I wouldn't claim to **know** the guy, but genocide doesn't strike me as Angel Face's idea of a good time.)

It's a matter of questionable morals that Magnus would be okay with leaving the town to its fate so long as he left quickly, but that level of ruthless apathy was one of the main reasons Magnus had made it through two Underworld Invasions and that mess with the Forces of Nature. (To say nothing of whatever those polygon-looking doo-dads were, that was enough to get even those scumbag gods to cooperate for a little while.) He'd fight as hard as he could at any fight he got into, but he couldn't expect to be everywhere, and he wasn't often paid for charity battles. Having said that, even if he could run from this battle, (Which is more difficult with thrashed legs) he could hardly leave that girl to get crushed when she'd saved his behind with her little guerrilla strike. He'd at least make sure she got out of town, it would be safe enough for her in the fields outside. Now, how to do that when he was so messed up... as it happened the problem solved itself by becoming a bigger problem, (Story of my life, right there.) as the Crawler was struck by a large Charged Arrow from somewhere above the plaza. (Oh great, Palutena's little crusaders finally showed up.) Magnus braced himself behind his blade to block the stray arrows that came down around the newly-smoking Crawler and then he used a desperate surge of adrenaline to hurl himself away from the inevitable blast of the Tank's explosive, deathbed deconstruction. (Wish I could have stuck the landing on that dive, but hey, least I didn't fry.) As was prone to happen when a Underworld beastie of sufficient size blew up, a chunk of conveniently cooked meat popped from the carcass to land near Magnus. Normally, one would question the wisdom of scarfing down a slab of meat that spawned a demon tank, but Magnus knew from past experience that this was perfect way to get his feet back under him. (What can I say? Floor Meat gives you health!) Now re-energized and revitalized, Magnus turned to the Alleyway and called to the girl in his usual gruff tone.

"Hey, little girl! Come on out here, the Tank's dead and we need to talk!" (Hopefully, she stuck around, at her pace, the little speed demon could be halfway across town. Which would suck, since the Centurions are a lot more systematic than the Skuttlers when it comes to killing humans. I don't know how she dodged all the monsters on the way here, but I'd rather she get out of town.)

Unbeknownst to Magnus, not only would Serra manage to get both out of and back into town, but that wasn't even the last time she would manage to save his life before the day was through.

 _A/N: Hoo boy, so it goes without saying that I wasn't kidding when I said I update really super slow! The pace is glacial, and I'm not really sorry. That said, I am a man of my word so here we are still updating. If, for some reason, anyone is still here, seriously good on you that's some god-tier patience, also, please review and comment and maybe I'll slam out another one sometime before 2018! Settin' goals! Plus side the Demon Moon converges more frequently here in 2017 and the number of symbols of power has been hit by recession and gone from 3 to two, so hopefully I'll get something up before summertime ends! Or not, we'll see._


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